While airlines continue to feel the effects of COVID-19, AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes’s latest move is surprising and exciting many as his company pivots and ventures back to his roots of music.
What does an airline do when it can’t fly internationally? Release a hit single, of course!
AirAsia Group announced the addition of RedRecords to its extensive offering back in late 2019 and the label has just released its first official single, Passcode by Jannine Weigel.
The upcoming hit has been a passion project for Weigel, Fernandes and the RedRecords team throughout the challenging period of COVID-19, with the entire song recorded in collaboration with some of the biggest names in music during lockdown.
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, “AirAsia Group never stops innovating and while our airline operation has been severely impacted by COVID-19, we’ve taken the opportunity to fast track and enhance other areas of our business. This includes our content business which will play a major role in our transition into a super app and digital company and of course, RedRecords.
“The single marks the arrival of a new wave of Asian pop music, and I’m convinced “A-Pop” is ready for its moment in the spotlight and RedRecords is going to be the driving force behind it.”
Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Group CEO
So turn up the volume and get ready to party along to this colourful, fun, and super catchy new track…
‘Passcode’
Produced by the Grammy-nominated record producer Tommy Brown, renowned for his work with Ariana Grande, Chris Brown, Fifth Harmony and more, Passcode is a euphoric dance-pop anthem.
It was co-written by Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez and it’s a song equipped with the sort of irresistible chorus that’s bound to get stuck in your head for years to come.
The link between the song and AirAsia runs deep – it was also co-produced and co-written by John O, former frontman of Malaysian pop band Paperplane Pursuit who also happens to be RedRecords’ A&R Manager. A number of multi talented Allstars also feature alongside Jannine in the music video for Passcode.
RedRecords CEO Hassan Choudhury said, “When Tony and I became aware of Jannine, our backgrounds in music and entertainment told us that this was an artist primed for worldwide success.”
“With the ambition we have for RedRecords, along with the extensive global marketing resources at our disposal, Jannine was the obvious choice as our first signing.”
Tell me more…
Born in Steinfurt, Germany, Jannine Weigel moved to Thailand when she was 10. Janine’s infectious personality has already helped her reach eye-popping numbers on social media. She has 3.6 million subscribers on YouTube, 3.2 million followers on Facebook, 1.7 million on Instagram, and more than 500,000 on TikTok. Although she has only just turned 20, Jannine has already had a successful career as an actor, model, and influencer. Jealous much?!
If you’re wondering how this all fits in with AirAsia, it’s because the airline and RedRecords – the new joint venture between AirAsia and Universal Music Group – both belong to the same parent company, AirAsia Group.
Pretty fun, hey?